1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to supporting an elongated member in an aperture in a wall and, in a particular embodiment, to extending a conduit through the wall and to a retaining device for axially locking the conduit in the aperture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An assembly of the type described in this application is particularly adapted for use with washing machines. It is common practice to employ a preformed drain hose to conduct liquid from the drain pump through the cabinet wall to a standpipe. A problem long associated with this method, however, has been that of a kinked drain hose within the cabinet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,328,054 discloses a one piece hose connector for passing a conduit through a panel. This hose connector has guides and abutments for keeping the connector aligned and has a cantilevered spring finger which snaps into the hole to prevent pull through.
Several other United States patents relate to joining and locking a section of heating pipe to a furnace plenum or relate to locking an electrical conduit into an outlet box. The furnace related patents disclose pipes with partial flanges and spring latches or a separate resilient collar having a strap with hinges designed to lock the pipe into an aperture in the furnace plenum. In another patent an electrical conduit is combined with a grooved sheet metal cup and the conduit is pivoted into a knock-out hole in the outlet box with the groove in the cup locking into the wall of the box.
It is believed that a need still exists for an improved assembly for passing an elongated member or conduit through a panel and also for effecting locking of the assembly thereto.